Let the Truth Sting
by itsnotaboutlove
Summary: In a time of darkness, the truth always finds its way out.
1. Chapter 1

It was a windy winter night.

Claire came up the basement stairs, carrying a laundry basket filled with clothes, still warm from the dryer. Setting the basket onto the sofa in the den, she began to take the clothes out and fold them. Pausing only once to braid her long blonde hair, Clarie set all the folded laundry back into the basket and got up off the sofa.

Making her way into the kitchen, she went to the sink and filled up a glass with water. Leaning against the counter, she drank it slowly, drifting off into thought. The sound of a car coming down the private road, made her freeze. Setting the glass down on the counter, she quickly made her way into her dark livingroom. Clarie freezed when bright headlights danced across the walls, lighting up the room before it went into total darkness. She heard the car die down, and the sound of a door opening and slamming shut.

Pulling the draw to the desk open, she pulled out a knife and slowly made her way to the window. Pulling the cutain back, she watched as the person made their way up her driveway and to the towards the front porch. Clarie frowned, as she watched the person move up the stairs and towards the front door. A strange feeling filled her, as she moved away from the window. There was a soft knock on the door, and Claire paused for a moment.

Then she moved towards the main hallway, and stood in front of the door. Another knock, this time a little louder, made her unlock the front door. Her hand on the door knob, Claire closed her eyes and counted to five, before pulling it open. She was glad to see that the screen door was in fact locked, as the tall figure stood in front of it. Reaching over, Clarie flipped the switch on, letting light fill the nightly air. Her eyes went wide and her breathing stopped, when she finally saw who was standing on her porch.

"John?"


	2. Chapter 2

_"John?"_

Claire stood in her doorway, staring at the older man in shock. It had been nearly a year since she last saw him, and he still looked the same.

"Hello Claire," he said, the sound of his deep voice ringing in her ears.

"W-what are you doing here?" she asked, frowning.

"Could I come in? It's cold out here," he said, and Claire nodded.

She moved to the side, and John stepped into her house. Shutting the door, Claire looked down at his dirty shoes.

"You might want to take those off. I don't want mud on my floor," she said, pointing to the mess he was already making.

Then she noticed how dirty his clothes were, along with his face and hands. He smelled of sweat and nature, as if he spent days in the woods. John took off his dirty boots and Clarie picked them up.

"Follow me," she said, walking towards the kitchen.

John followed and Claire went to the back door, placing the shoes on the old rug. Then she went to the counter and started the coffee maker. John stood in her spotless kitchen, looking around.

"Nice place," he said, grinning at her.

Claire was setting up the coffee filter, when she looked over her shoulder at him.

"Thanks," she said, before returning her attention back to the coffee maker.

John sat down at the wooden table, and watched as the petite blonde took down coffee cups from the cabinets. Claire remember exactly how John liked is coffee: Black with two sugars. On somedays, he didn't put anything it in. Claire poured coffee into a cup and took two small sugar packets and walked over to the table. Setting the cup down, along with the sugar, Claire took a seat at the table.

"So John, are you gonna tell me what you're doing here?" she asked, as he ripped the sugar packets open, stirring the spoon around.

He picked up the cup and took a sip, before looking at her. Her ice blue eyes stared back at him, and he swallowed the lump that was starting to form in his throat. He wanted to tell her the truth, but he knew he couldn't. Clarie didn't know anything about hunting and what he really did for a living. To her, he was John Winchester, an undercover FBI agent.

"Another case," he said, half-lying.

Claire nodded, looking down at her arms. She ran her finger around the edge of the placemat, before looking back at him.

"If you're gonna stay the night, I suggest you bring your stuff in and leave whatevers dirty out. I'll wash your stuff, and you can take a shower upstairs. When you're done, the guestroom will be ready for you," she said, standing up.

John nodded, and watched as Claire turned off the coffee maker. She then walked out of the kitchen, leaving him alone at the table.


	3. Chapter 3

There was a light knock on the guestroom door, and John placed his cellphone down on the bed next to him.

"Come in,' he called out.

The door opened, and Claire stepped into the room. John looked at her from head to toe, and smiled softly as she walked over and stood at the edge of the bed.

"I put the last of your clothes in the wash. Some of the stuff is in the dryer, so if you need clothes, they'll be in there," she said, tugging at the end of her braid.

John nodded, "Thank you," he said.

Claire grinned sheepishly, nodding softly. Dressed in her usual night clothes, which consisted of a snug shirt and an old pair of flannel pants, she looked exactly the same. Just a year older or two, from the last time he saw her.

"Well, I'm gonna turn in for the night," she said suddenly, nodding towards the door.

John nodded, "Goodnight," he said, as she walked towards the door.

Looking over at him, Clarie smiled softly.

"Night," and she was gone.

The next morning, John woke up early and quietly made his way downstairs. He went into the basement and took the dry clothes out of the dryer, and moved the wet clothes in. Changing, he made his way into the kitchen and cleaned out the coffee pot, before making a fresh pot. Sitting down at the table, he drank his coffee quietly. It was only seven-thirty in the morning, and John knew that Claire wouldn't be up until at least ten. He thought about going into town, and getting breakfast at the local diner and brining it back for them both.

The sound of foot steps coming down the stairs, interrupted his thoughts and he looked towards the doorway. Seconds later, a disheveled Claire stumbled into the kitchen. She stopped and looked at John, through tired eyes, then glanced at the clock on the stove. She groaned when she saw the time, and sat down at the table.

"Why are you up so early?" she asked, putting her head down on the table.

John stood up and went to make her a cup of coffee, "It's something I always do, Claire. You know that," he said.

Claire mumbled something, and John smirked. It was obvious that Claire wasn't a morning person. At all. Setting the cup down in front of her, John sat back down in his chair. Lifting her head up to look at the glass in front of her, Claire picked it up slowly and took a sip.

"You still remember how I like it," she said, in awe.

She looked up at him, and quickly felt herself blush. They both looked away, pretending that nothing happened in that moment. John cleared his throat, and sat up straighter.

"I need to make a phone call, soon" he announced.

Claire nodded, "Okay.. you know where the phone is," she said.

John nodded, "Yes, I do," he said.

They were both silent, trying to figure out what to say next. Suddenly, there was movement upstairs. A thud and the sound of something falling to the floor. John was already up the stairs, with Claire right behind him. John pulled out the gun he always carried, and moved quietly down the hall, in a fast pace.

He stopped at the door, located at the end of the hall. Claire finally made her way to the top of the stairs, and saw John standing in front of the door, ready to kick it open. Then she spotted the gun in his hand, and she gasped.

"JOHN! NO!" she shouted, as the door was kicked open.

John held the gun up, ready to fire. But what he saw in the room, shocked him. Clarie bumped into him, as her skidded to a hault. She looked into the room, then up at John, before pushing past him. John watched as she made her way into the room, and over to the source of the noise. Once she had it, she turned around and looked at him, her eyes filling with tears.

For in her arms, she held a child.


	4. Chapter 4

John sat at the kitchen table, as thoughts raced around in his head. Shortly after his discovery, he made the phone call, and went out back to think. Claire kept herself in the room, holding the child as she cried and cried. John didn't know what to say to her. He couldn't even ask her a question. All he could do, was walk away.

There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but for some reason, he couldn't force himself to do so. He would either have to wait until it all sank in, or wait for Claire come to him. But for now, John Winchester was at a loss for words. Not even the twelve cups of coffee, could help calm his nerves.

Headlights flashed in the front room, and the sound of a car engine dying down, could be heard. John stood up from the table and made his way through the house, and up to the front door. Unlocking the door, John pulled it open, and watched as his sons made their way from the car and up the porch steps. He pushed open the screen door, and stepped aside, allowing them into the house.

"Whoa! Nice place, Dad." Dean said, looking around at the spotless hallway and livingroom.

John rolled his eyes, shutting the front door and locking it. He motioned for the boys to follow him into the kitchen, where a fresh pot of coffee was ready and waiting. Sam and Dean sat down at the table, and watched as their father poured three cups of coffee.

"So, what's going on?" Sam asked, as John set a cup down in front of them.

John took a seat at the table, "Well, I found something. And I need your help," he said.

Dean nodded, "Could you, oh I don't know, give a little more info about this "thing" you found?" he asked.

John glared at him, "Watch your mouth, Dean," he snapped.

Sam sniggered and Dean glared at him, "Shut up, Sammy," he hissed.

While John and the boys talked in the kitchen, Claire was quietly making her way down the stairs. She heard the car coming down the road, and watched it park next to John's truck, from the window. Now the people were in her house. Strangers. Quietly, she stepped off the last step, and made her way towards the kitchen. The door was shut, but she could hear the voices from the other side.

"Dean, quit being a jerk!" one man said, while the other snorted.

"All I did, Sammy, was ask a question. So stop your bitching," the other said.

The floorboards beneath her feet squeaked and moaned, making her stop dead in her spot. The voices from inside the kitchen stopped, and Claire held her breath. Suddenly, the kitchen door flew open, and two men stood before her, holding guns. Claire turned her body, blocking the child away from the possible gunfire she would endure.

The taller one dropped the gun, and looked at Claire in confusement and shock. The other though, held his gun up at her.

"Who's the chick?" he asked, as John walked up behind them.

"Put the gun down, Dean," he growled.

Dean did what he was told, and Sam looked at John with confusement. John then turned to Claire, and nodded.

"It's okay. They're not going to hurt you," he said.

Claire shook her head, "Who are you people? And why the bloody hell do you have guns? And why are you pointing them at me?" she asked, as the child whimpered in her arms.

"The two of you. In the kitchen. NOW," John said, pointing to the table.

Sam and Dean both moved away from the door, and went back to the table. John put his hand on Claire's back, and lead her over to the other side of the table, and sat her down in the chair. Then he took the seat next to her.

"Sorry about the gun," the tall one said, and Claire nodded.

"It's fine. I just want some bloody answers. My first one being- Who the hell are you?" she asked, looking at both Sam and Dean.

"This is Sam," John said, pointing to the tall one. "And this, is Dean," he finished, pointing to the other man, who winked at her.

"I'm Claire. Claire Harding," she said, as she shifted the child from one shoulder to the other.

Dean noticed the child, and nodded towards it. "Who's the kid?" he asked, being very rude.

"Penny,"

"Penny?" Dean asked.

Claire nodded, "It's short for Penelope," she said.

John looked at the little girl, as she slept against Claire's chest. Claire rubbed small circles on her back, and looked at the men in front of her.

"Is she your sister?" Dean asked, and Claire glared at him.

"She's my daughter," she hissed.

Dean's eyebrows rose, "Aren't you like...sixteen?" he asked.

"Twenty-two," she shot back.

Sam watched as Claire and Dean snapped back and forth at each other, then to his father, who stared at Penny. Making a mental note to question his father later, Sam quickly put an end to the would be fight.

"Okay, okay! How about we call it a night? Dean and I will go to the motel we saw a few miles back, and we'll meet up again in the morning," he said.

Claire shook her head, "It's too late to go back that way. I have extra rooms upstairs," she said, looking over at him.

John nodded, "You guys can wash up and share a room. Tomorrow we get up early and get to work," he said, standing up.

Claire told the boys where the extra rooms were, and watched as they walked out of the kitchen. She then turned her attention to John, who was still standing next to her.

"She's adorable," he said quietly, looking down at Penny.

"I don't know where she got the looks from," she joked quietly, as Penny slept.

Before John could ask anymore questions, Claire was standing up from her chair.

"I guess I'll see you in the morning," she said, before making her way out of the kitchen.


	5. Chapter 5

"Penny! Mummy is trying to get you dressed!" Claire moaned, as the one year old, wobbled around on her bed.

There was a soft knock on the door, and it opened. Claire looked up to find John standing the the doorway, watching the scene before him with a small smile on his face.

"Hard time?" he asked, as the little girl stopped at pointed at him.

Claire sighed, "Yeah," she said.

John stepped into the room and shut the door behind him, before walking over to the bed. Claire had to tear her eyes off him, and look down at the clothes she had picked out for Penny.

"She's excited about visitors. And she's probably hungry."

As John sat down on the edge of Claire's bed, Penny wobbled over to him. She reached out and touched his face, before breaking out into a grin. John chuckled, and Penny squealed. Claire watched the scene before her, and wished that all the tension in the room would fade away.

"I think your Mom wants you to get dressed, Pen," he said, looking at the little girl.

Penny looked at him, and he pointed to Claire. Turning her head around, Penny looked at Claire, then back at John, who nodded. Claire quickly changed Penny in a warm set of clothes, and picked her up.

"The boys and I are gonna go out back, and in the woods for a while," John said, as they walked down the stairs.

"The woods? Why?" she asked, as they walked into the kitchen.

Sam and Dean were already waiting for John, their backpacks filled with weapons and other objects. John picked up his own bag, and looked back at Claire.

"We'll be back before dusk. If anything happens, just call one of us," he said, as Dean stepped out in the backyard.

Claire nodded, and watched as Sam and John followed. Walking up to the back door, she watched as the three men stepped into the woods, and out of her sight.

* * *

Three hours had passed, and Penny was growing restless. Claire decided to take her out back, so that she could enjoy the beautiful winter day they were having. Grabbing her jacket, Claire made sure Penny was dressed warm enough, even though it was only fifty-six degrees outside. Carrying her down the backsteps, Claire set the little girl onto the ground.

"Excuse me, Miss?"

Claire quickly turned around and saw a man walking across her back lawn. Quickly, Claire pulled Penny into her arms and lifted her up off the ground.

"Can I help you?" Clarie asked, wondering what this man was doing in her backyard.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I was looking for my son's dog? He's small, with brown fur," he said.

Claire shook her head, "No, sorry. I haven't seen a dog around her today," she said.

The man nodded, "Well, if you see him, could you call this number?" he asked, handing out a flyer.

Just then, all the papers fell out of his hand, and scattered around the yard. Claire placed Penny down, and bent down to help the man pick them up.

"It's getting windy out," Claire said, as she turned her back on the man, pulling all the flyers into a pile

Suddenly, everything went dark.

* * *

Sam, Dean and John were heading back to the house, after an unsuccessful search in the woods.

"So, you haven't told Clarie about this?" Sam asked, as they walked.

John shook his head, "I haven't had the chance to tell her. I think after what happened last night, she probably wouldn't want to know until tomorrow," he said.

Dean snorted, "Geeze Dad! What, is she afraid of ghosts?" he asked, with a laugh.

"I haven't told her about what I do," John said, as the house came into view.

Sam stopped in his tracks, "What!? So, Claire has no idea that you hunt demons and stuff?" he asked.

"That's what I said, Sammy," John said, with a sigh.

Sam quickly follwed his brother and father, "Well, you're gonna have to tell her now. I mean, she's involved with this whole thing," he said.

"I know, Sam. I know,"

The three men stepped out of the woods, and stopped in their spots. John quickly dropped his bag, and started running.

"CLAIRE!"

Laying on the cold, hard ground, unconscious, was Clarie. John knelt down next to her, and place his hand under head, pulling it up off the ground. Pulling his hand away, he saw that it was covered in blood. Sam and Dean were next to him within seconds, and John started barking out orders.

"Dean, go inside and get something for her head. Sam, I need you to get the first aid kit in my bag, " he said.

Both boys took off, running in opposite directions.

"Come on, Claire. Wake up," John said, softly, patting her cheek softly.

Sam returned, holding the first aid kit, and John told him what he needed. Dean came out, carrying a dish towel. Placing the towel under Claire's head, he tried to get her to wake up. Sam looked around the yard, when it hit him.

"Where's Penny?" he asked, making both Dean and John look up at him.

Suddenly, there was a groan from the ground. John looked down and saw that Claire was waking up.

"Claire," he started, as her eyes opened at met his.

"John?" she whispered, blinking a few times.

She started to sit up, when John stopped her. "Penny? Where's Penny?" she asked, closing her eyes as a dizzy spell fell over her.

No one answered, and she quickly opened her eyes. "Where's Penny?" she asked again.

This time, she fought John off of her, and started to stand up. John put his hand on her back to steady her, and Claire started to look around the yard.

"Penny? Penny!" she called.

When the one year old didn't appear, Claire began to panic.

"PENNY! PENNY!" she screamed, before falling to the ground.

Sam and John moved over to her, and tried to help her up in a sitting position. Dean grabbed a gun out of his bag, and started towards the woods, leaving the other two with Claire. Sam held the towel to Claire's head, which continued to bleed, while John knelt in front of her.

"What happened?" he asked.

Claire shook her head, "I don't know. One minute I was awake and she was here..." she sobbed.

"Did someone come into the yard?" John asked.

Claire began to shake her head, "Oh my god! He took her..." she said, as more tears filled her eyes.

John placed his hands on her arms, "Who? Who Claire?" he asked.

She let out a sob, "I don't know! He took my baby!" she cried, as Sam wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

John stood up, and walked away from Claire. Running his hands across his face, he stared out into the woods.

"Penny..Penny...Penny..."Claire sobbed.

He was too late.


	6. Chapter 6

**Kinda short! I've been busy packing today. I wont be here on Wed the 28th til Monday the 2nd. So Tuesday will be the last update til then. **

Claire woke up with a jolt, nearly falling to the floor. Sitting up slowly, she found herself on the couch. From the kitchen, she heard voices. Quickly getting up, she made her way into the kitchen and found John and the boys at the table. The three of them looked over at her, and became quiet.

John moved over to her, "How are you feeling?" he asked, as she stood there.

She didn't respond. Sam looked down at the table, while Dean cleared his throat.

"So, I think we should get going. Start looking around," he said, as Claire stared at the table.

John nodded, "Alright, we leave in ten minutes. Get your stuff," he said, to Sam and Dean.

They both got up and headed upstairs to their room, while John and Claire stood in the kitchen.

"I want to go with you," she said, her voice barely there.

"What?" John asked.

Claire cleared her throat, "I said, I want to go with you,"

John shook his head, "No,"

"No?" Claire asked, frowning.

When John didn't respond, Claire became angry. "How dare you! How dare you tell me what to do! This is my baby, okay? My child. I have every right to go with you and find her!" she snapped, her accent becoming hard to understand when each word came out of her mouth.

"Claire, I said no. It's too dangerous to go running around," he said, trying to move out of the kitchen.

But Claire stepped in front of him, "John, I'm going. I don't care if I have to follow you. I am going with you," she said, in a deadly tone.

John placed his hands on her shoulders, and moved her to the side.

"You're staying behind, Claire," he said, before moving to the front hallway.

Sam and Dean came down the stairs, carrying their bags, while John picked up his from the table in the hall.

"Ready to go?" he asked, as both boys nodded.

Claire ran out of the kitchen and down the hall towards them.

"This isn't right! They can go? Them? I am her mother, and I should be there! I will not sit here like a wounded person, waiting for you to return with her!" she shouted.

Sam and Dean moved out of her way, and she came storming towards them.

John sighed, "Claire, I told you no..." he started.

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAID! I'M GOING WITH YOU!" she shouted.

Dropping his bag, John turned around to face her.

"GODDAMMIT CLAIRE! I SAID NO!" he shouted back.

Claire didn't flinch at his raised voice, nor did she stop walking. Instead she began hitting him, shouting at the same time.

"I don't bloody care what you say!" "This isn't your call, John!" "You're not the boss of me!" "I'm going with you!" she shouted, as she hit him.

Finally, John managed to grab her by the arms, and held her back from him. Claire tried to pull herself away from him, but stopped, breaking down into sobs. John pulled her close to him, and she cried.

"Please, John. Please," she cried.

John looked up and saw that his sons were watching them, with looks of confusement on their faces.

"Okay," he said, nodding.

"Okay, you can come," he finished, as Claire sobbed.


	7. Chapter 7

Stumbling through the woods, Claire glared at John and Dean, who walked further ahead of her. Pulling the straps to her backpack up, Claire stepped over the fallen tree branches and tried to keep up.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Claire looked to her left and saw that Sam was walking next to her, holding a flashlight.

"I'm fine," Claire replied, before facing forward.

Sam nodded, and they continued walking in silence. After an hour, John called back to them, and they took a small break. By then, it was dark out. Dean suggested that they walk a little more, before setting up camp. Much to Claire's liking, John ordered them all to get up and continue walking after ten minutes.

"So, where are you from?" Sam asked, trying to make small talk with the young woman.

"Australia," she replied, ducking down to avoid and tree branch.

Sam looked at her, in total interest. "Australia? Wow, that must be cool," he said.

Claire shrugged, "I guess so."

"What part are you from?" Sam asked, as John and Dean stopped further ahead.

"Perth," she answered.

Before Sam could reply, they were standing in front of Dean and John. For a brief moment, John met Claire eye-to-eye, before she looked away.

"We make camp here. Tomorrow we'll continue moving," said John, as he dropped his bag onto the ground.

As Sam and Dean started setting up their things, Claire stood in her spot, watching them.

"Where are we supposed to sleep, John?" she asked, as the elder man tucked a gun into the back of his jeans.

"I packed you a blanket to lay on," he said, walking towards her. "Don't worry, I know how much you hate camping," he said, with a small smile.

Then he walked past her and called for Sam and Dean, and had them collect firewood further out into the woods. Once they were out of earshot, John turned to face Claire.

"You'll stick with me. Let's get moving before it gets too dark to do anything," he said, turning on the extra flashlight.

Claire took it from him and follwed him into the deep, dark, creepy woods. She was in for a long night.


	8. Chapter 8

**EEK! Very sorry for the lack of updates!**

Bright blue eyes flew open, seeing nothing but darkness. The sound of her own breathing, and the snores from the men, drove Claire mad. The lack of household sounds, Claire didn't feel safe out in the open. Rolling onto her side, she pulled the thick blanket up past her neck. As she laid there, Claire began to wonder where Penny was, and what she was doing at that moment. If she was even alive. Shaking her head, and the horrible thoughts out, Claire snuggled down further and closed her eyes.

It felt like only minutes, not hours, when she was forced to wake up. Opening her eyes, she found John kneeling down next to her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, clearing her throat.

"We're moving out. Got a lot of land to cover," he said, as Claire sat up.

Dean and Sam were putting out the fire, and covering their tracks. John stood up and pulled Claire up to her feet.

"What if we don't find her? What if she's not in the woods?" Claire asked, as John packed up her sleeping bag.

"Then we search elsewhere. I don't think she went that far. Whoever took her, is probably still in this town," he said.

Sam walked over to them, smiling softly at Claire. Claire gave him a smile, which was almost naked to the eye, and looked away.

"What's up, Sam?" John asked, as he shoved the rolled up sleeping bag into Claire's backpack.

Sam looked away from Claire, and down at his father.

"Um, Dean and I cleared the tracks and packed up," he said, as John stood.

"Good job. Okay, let's move out," he said, walking over to his own things.

Claire stood in her spot, and watched as John and Dean walked ahead. The wind began to pick up, and Claire shivered.

"Cold?" Sam asked, as he picked up the blanket, John forgot to pack.

She looked at him, and nodded. "Yeah, a bit," she said.

Sam stepped forward, "Can..I?" he asked, holding up the blanket.

Claire nodded, and Sam stepped a little closer, wrapping the heavy blanket around her small frame. Then he picked up her bag and slipped it onto his own back, and grabbed the duffel off the ground. Both started after the others, and fell into a silence.

"Are you sure you want to carry that?" Claire asked, as they spotted Dean and John.

Sam nodded, "Yeah, I don't mind," he said, with a smile.

Claire nodded, "Thanks," she said, pulling the blanket tightly around her shoulders.

They continued to walk, still a good ten feet away from John and Dean. Claire sighed, pulling the blanket tightly around her body.

"So...does John always boss you two around like this?" she asked, making small talk.

Sam shrugged, "Well.. no," he started off, sounding a bit unsure of his answer.

Claire looked up at him, and Sam looked down at her. She gave him a look, which said that she knew he was lying, and Sam grinned sheepishly.

"Okay, he does that a lot. But it's his thing, his way of making sure we don't get into trouble. He's been like that for as long as I can remember," he said.

Claire frowned, "How long have you known him?" she asked.

Sam frowned, "Forever," he said.

"Forever? Are you like, a billion years old or something? A vampire? Immortal?" she asked, slightly confused, yet trying to make light of the conversation.

Sam smiled, "No," he laughed. "No, I am not any of the following. I am a normal, twenty-two year old man," he said, as Claire giggled.

"Oh, okay. Well, just so you know, I am a normal twenty-two year old woman. I am not immortal, nor am I a vampire or anything strange like that," she announced.

Sam laughed, "So, how long have you and Dean been in the FBI for?" she asked, pushing a low branch away from her face.

"The FBI?" Sam asked, looking confused now.

Claire nodded, "Yeah. I mean, that's where you met Dean and John, right?" she asked, frowning.

Sam was silent for a moment, "Yeah.." he said, looking over at her. "Yeah, that's where I met them," he nodded.

"No offense, but aren't you supposed to be like, much older to be an FBI agent? I mean, Jodi Foster was old...ish," she said, grinning sheepishly.

Laughing, Sam shook his head. "I guess I got lucky, "he said, as Claire giggled.

"Well, I am putting my trust in you. I don't want to wake up tonight and find a Hannibal Lecter, standing over me," she said, with an eyeroll.

Sam smiled softly, "Don't worry. I wont let anything get you," he said, making her blush slightly.

As they continued walking, Sam made another mental note- adding up with the others- to corner is father and question the hell out of him.


	9. Chapter 9

It was nearing nightfall, and they'd found nothing. No trace of a little girl, or the kidnapper. Claire leaned against a tree, gasping for air. All the walking and climbing up steep hills, finally took it's toll on her.

"Ho- How much further?" she asked, breathing heavily.

Sam had stopped next to her, pulling the pack off his shoulders. Dean and John stopped, further ahead of them, and turned back.

"We gotta keep moving, Claire," John said, as Claire struggled to breathe.

"I know.." she said.

"You're slowing us down," said Dean, making John and Sam shoot angry glares at him.

Claire ignored him, and stood up straighter. Pushing past Dean, she bumped into his shoulder hard, and walked past John. Dean gripped his shoulder, wincing in pain, as John and Sam chuckled.

John went after Claire, as Sam and Dean followed. When he reached her, Claire was slapping branches away from her face. It felt like years, then hours, since Penny was taken. Claire was starting to lose hope on ever finding her.

"The last time I ever took a hike like this, was when I was twelve and still living in Australia," Clarie said, a few minutes later.

John looked down at the younger woman, and saw how tired she was. Further behind them, Sam and Dean argued about taking a break.

"I don't even know why I'm here! This is a fucking joke!" Dean snapped, as Sam tried to reason with his brother that they had to keep moving.

"Dean, don't be an asshole. If it was someone you really loved or cared about, you'd be acting the same way," Sam snapped.

John shook his head, and looked back down at Claire.

"We'll take a break, as soon as we get through the clearing and past those trees," he said, nodding forward.

Claire nodded, and hitched the backpack higher up her back. As they made their way across the clearing, and into the thick mass of trees. The wind began to pick up, making Claire shiver. As they made their way through the trees, Claire began to worry that there would be to trace of her child.

"John?" she whispered, as they moved.

"What?" he asked, pushing a tree branch away from their faces.

Claire gripped the blanket around her shoulders tightly, and stepped over a fallen log.

"What if this is it?" she asked, as he helped her down a steep slope.

John looked at her, confused.

"What if what is it?" he asked, as they continued walking.

Sam and Dean were not that far behind, as they were making their way down the slope.

"I mean, what if it's all woods? What are we looking for, exactly? What if it's just trees? What if we never find anything?" she asked, as they neared closer and closer to the edge of the thick mass.

"We'll find her, Claire. Woods eventually end," he said, as he held a branch away from her head.

Claire looked at him for a moment, and stepped ahead of him, pushing through the last of the bushes. When she looked up, she felt the world stop. John made his way out behind her, nearly knocking into her.

"Claire? What's the ma-" he stopped, when he too looked up before him.

After a few seconds, Sam and Dean stumbled out from the trees, knocking into both their father and Claire.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked, while Dean cursed.

Claire raised her arm, and pointed forward. Dean and Sam both looked into the direction that she pointed to, and were at a loss for words.

For there, no more than ten feet away from them, stood an abandoned shack.


	10. Chapter 10

Hiding in the trees, Claire kept her eyes on the shack that stood before them. John, Dean and Sam were busy trying to figure out the safest way to get in and out, before anything could happen. Claire thought they were talking about psycho murderers, child rapists, the usual people FBI agents went after. But really, they were talking about an evil spirit that was taking kids from the town.

"We could go in through the front door, and shoot the bastard" Dean said, as they spoke.

John shook his head, "If we all go in through one door, then it could go out the back," he said.

Sam nodded, "Dean and I will take the front, you and Claire take the back," he said, but John shook his head again.

"Claire's not going in. I'll leave a gun with her out here, and I'll take the back," he said, but Sam shook his head.

"Dad, I don't think that''s a good idea," he said.

"And why not?" John asked, making Sam shrink back.

"Well, for starters, has Claire ever used a gun before?" he asked, as Dean shook his head.

"Sorry, but I'm not gonna get myself shot from blondie," he said, putting his hands up.

After a few more minutes of their conversation, they went back to where Claire was standing. She turned to them, wrapping her arms around her tiny frame.

"So, are we going in or what?" she asked, as Dean loaded his gun.

After Claire was given a knife, the group split up and headed towards the shack. Sam and Dean went towards the front door, while John and Claire made their way quietly around to the back. As they made their way past the old porch, Claire saw all the rusty garden tools. Quietly going up the stairs, which looked as if they would fall apart at any moment, Claire stood behind John as the reached the door.

Turning around, John took her by the arm lightly.

"Whatever happens, you take the baby and you run," he whispered to her.

Clarie frowned, "What? No.." she started, but John shook his head.

"Claire, you take Penny and you run. No matter what you see or hear, you run and you don't stop," he demanded.

The tone of his voice, told Claire that his word was final and that she would have to listen to him. Claire nodded in defeat, and they quickly turned back to the door. Opening it slowly, John held his gun out before him and looked around, before going in. When he saw that it was clear, he took Claire by the hand and pulled her behind him, into the house.

Pieces of newspaper laid across the floor, along with broken chairs and glass objects. There was a foul smell filling the air, making Claire gag. Making their way across the room, they could hear Sam and Dean out front whispering harshly to each other. Leaving the kitchen, John and Claire went out into the hallway and met up with the boys.

"It's empty," Sam said, as John nodded.

Suddenly, there was a noise upstairs, making them all look up at the staircase. Without thinking, Claire quickly made her way up the rotting steps. Cursing, John followed, with Sam and Dean right behind.

"Clarie!" he whispered harshly, as the woman moved down the tiny hallway.

She reached the door at the end of the hall, and pushed it open, letting out a cry. John and the boys quickly moved downt he hall, and stopped behind her. John looked into the room and saw what caused Claire to cry out.

Sitting on the floor, ontop of old rags, was Penny.


	11. Chapter 11

Claire quickly moved forward and picked Penny up off the floor, holding her tiny body to her chest.

"Oh, Pen," she whispered, kissing her daughter on the head.

John walked over to them both, and put one hand on Claire's back and the other on Penny's. Penny turned to look at him, reaching a tiny hand out towards him. Claire smiled softly, as tears filled her eyes.

"Okay, I think we should like.. go now!" Sam whispered, as he kept glancing from the room to the hall.

John looked over at his sons, and nodded. Wrapping his arm around Claire's waist, they made their way down the hall and the stairs. As Claire stood a few feet back with Penny, she watched as John and the boys dumped oil around the house and on the old porch. By the time they were done and at her side, the flames were wrapped around the front of the house.

As the house burned, the Winchester men, Claire and Penny ran off into the night. From a figure stood within the trees and watched, smiling to itself. It would only be a matter of time, before they'd meet face to face.

They walked all night and all day, returning to Claire's house by eight that evening. The back porch light went on, as they walked across the lawn and up the stairs. Penny was asleep, as John carried her into the house.

"There's a bathroom down here, and three upstairs," Claire said, as they dropped their bags near the backdoor.

As Sam and Dean walked through the house, one towards the downstairs bathroom, the other up the stairs, Claire went to turn the heat up in the freezing house. When she came back into the kitchen, John was looking down at the sleeping child in his arms.

"Um, I'll take her up to my bathroom and give her a bath," she said, breaking him out of his daze.

He nodded, and followed her up the stairs to Penny's room. Setting the little girl on the changing table, John watched as Claire moved about the room, searching for clean clothes and a fresh diaper. As she went through the dresser, Claire looked back over at him.

"You can take the bathroom next to your room, I've got her from here," she said, as she found a clean set of pajamas.

John quietly left the bedroom and went to his own, while Claire carried Penny into her room and straight to the bathroom. After a quick bath, she dressed Penny and laid her in the center of her bed. Claire showered and dressed in a pair of pajama bottoms and an old shirt, before stepping out of the bathroom. Penny was still asleep on the bed, and Claire settled herself slowly and quietly next to her.

As Penny slept, Claire watched her. The rise and fall of her tiny chest, and the way she made her hands into little fists as she moved about in her slumber. There was a light knock on the door, making Claire jump.

"Come in," she said softly, before turning her gaze back down to Penny.

The door opened, and John stood in the doorway, watching them both.

"Is she still asleep?" he asked, as he walked over to the bed.

Claire nodded, and looked up at him. Freshly cleaned and wearing his own sleep attire, John sat down on her bed and reached out to brush the damp brown curls away from Penny's forehead. Penny moved her head towards his hand, and yawned. The motion, made Claire want to cry.

"Claire?" John asked, his voice gruff.

"Yeah.." she whispered, watching as Penny took hold of John's finger.

It was silent for what felt like ages, until he finally spoke.

"Is she mine?"


	12. Chapter 12

Claire sat in the corner of her bedroom, sitting in near darkness. She could hear slamming from downstairs, and Penny's sharp cries comming from her bed. Choking back a sob, Claire pulled her knees up to her chest and sobbed, rocking herself back and forth.

It only lasted an hour. John sent Sam and Dean out to find a take out stop, while he and Claire "talked"

"Is she mine, Claire?" he asked, as soon as the Impala roared down the street.

Claire sat on her bed, and stared up at John. She couldn't tell what his expression stood for. Anger? Grief? Hope? With John Winchester, it was hard to tell.

"Claire, answer me! Is she my daughter?" he asked, his voice rising,

She was silent for a moment, but it felt like hours. Days even. With a blink, Claire finally opened her mouth.

"_Yes." _she whispered, waiting for the explosion.

Penny was still laying on the bed, squirming about. She let out a stream of baby talk, as she glanced at her young mother, and her much older father by the window. It was at this moment, that Claire wished she were as young as Penny. Even though she had two messed up parents, she could still hold the "innocent" card until she was much older to understand what her young life would contain.

"John, I-" she started, but he cut her off.

"We're leaving in the morning," he said, turning away from the window.

Claire was at a loss for words, "W-what?" she choked out.

Suddenly, it felt as if the world was crashing down around her. And she couldn't do anything, but sit there and allow it.

"Claire, it was a mistake. I should've had total control of myself around you, but I didn't and now.." he trailed off.

It was as if a strong breeze came through the room, as Claire quickly got off her bed and stood face to face with John. The slap across his face stung, but not like the truth of little Penny.

"Don't you ever say that. Don't you _EVER _tell me that my baby was a mistake!" she snarled, her beautiful face, twisted in anger.

John wouldn't admit it then, but the anger in her face scared him. It was like looking into the face of a demon, only something about it made his heart hurt. She was now crying, shaking with anger.

"You can tell yourself that she was _your _mistake," she said, as she pointed to the little girl on the bed.

"But she will never _ever _be my mistake! _EVER_!" she shouted.

John shook his head, "And what? You thought by having her, that somehow I would come back and act like it would be all okay? That I would just come back and pretend that we could be a perfect family?" he shouted, his voice getting louder and louder.

"I DIDN'T EXPECT ANYTHING FROM YOU!" she screamed, pushing him away from her.

Penny began to cry on the bed, as the two adults screamed at each other. Claire continued to hit him, and John couldn't deny that she was a strong woman for her size.

"GODDAMNIT CLAIRE!" he shouted, grabbing her by her wrists.

Claire nearly fell into him, as he held onto her wrists tightly. The pain was horrible, but she had to much anger and rage to even notice it. She bursted into tears, and nearly fell to the floor. John looked down at her sadly, shaking his head.

"Claire, I can't give you two the life that you both deserve!" he said, as she sobbed.

"I don't care! I don't care, John," she sobbed, her blue eyes filling with tears.

John looked away from her face, sighing loud. Then he looked back down at her, pushing a fallen strand of hair away from her face.

"I'm an old man, Claire. What will all your friends say, when we walk into town together? I am old enough to be your father. Penny could pass for my grandchild. Claire, it could never work," he said, as she cried.

Suddenly, she pushed him away. Penny was still screaming on the bed, as her parents fought over her well-being.

"Get out," she whispered, glaring at him through her fallen strands of hair.

"Claire.." he stared, but she cut him off.

"GET OUT!" she screamed, itching to throw something at him.

John looked at her for a moment, then turned on his heel. He slammed the door behind him, loud enough to make himself jump. Hard enough-that maybe, just maybe- it would snap off the hinges, and stormed down the stairs. Claire looked at the door, her bathrobe swinging from it's tiny silver hook. She could hear John slamming doors and god knows what around in her kitchen, and it made her both angry and sad.

Turning around, she looked down at her little girl. Penny's face was tearstained and red, as she cried and screamed to pick picked up. Claire began to cry even more, and left the bed, moving to the tiny corner of her bedroom. Leaning against the wall, she slowly slid down to the floor.

And she cried.


	13. Chapter 13

Claire woke up to find herself laying on her bed, the soft throw blanket over her. Penny was no where in site, and she began to panic. Sitting up, she allowed the blanket to fall, letting the cold air hit her bare arms.

"Penny? PENNY?!" she shouted, looking around frantically.

Suddenly, Sam was standing her in doorway, holding Penny in his arms. He smiled at her, but she didn't smile back.

"Sorry, she was fussy and D- I mean John told me to take her downstairs and feed her," he said, as he carried her over to the bed.

Claire took Penny from him, and held her close, kissing her head. Sam sat down on the edge of her bed and watched as mother and child interacted with each other.

"Why's it so cold in here?" she asked, as Penny pulled at the ends of her hair.

"Um.. we couldn't find the thermostat, but we did put the fireplace on in the livingroom," he said, grinning sheepishly.

Claire laughed softly, as Sam gave her a puppy-eyed look. How three grown men couldn't find the thermostat, which was located by the end of the staircase, was hard for Claire to understand. Handing Penny back to Sam, she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and got up from her bed.

"Come on, I'll show you where it is," she said, walking towards the door.

Sam followed, holding Penny, who was looking up at him with interest. They went down the stairs and Claire turned to the left, standing near the wall with the small device. Sam's cheeks turned red, and he looked down at the floor.

"I wasnt sure if that was it," he said, making her smile.

"It's okay," she said, turning the heat up, "It took me a while to learn what this thing did too," she said.

After the heat was turned up, Claire looked around her hallway and livingroom. There was a fire burning in the fireplace, but no one on her sofa.

"Where's Dean and John?" she asked, wrapping the blanket around her tightly.

"Dean is trying to heat up some food for you, and John went out for a drive," he said, as Penny reached up to touch Sam's face.

Claire nodded, "Ohh, well I hope he's not driving like a mad man. These roads get really bad during this time of the year, black ice and everything.." she said, trying to show less concern then what she really felt.

Sam laughed, "I'm sure John will be fine. He drives a lot, no matter what the weather conditions are," he said.

"SAMMY! IS BARBIE AWAKE?" Dean shouted from the kitchen, as a pan fell to the floor.

Sam laughed, while Claire rolled her eyes. She didn't really like the idea of Dean in her kitchen, touching everything that she set up nicely.

"YES DEAN, I AM AWAKE," she shouted back, shaking her head.

Sam and Claire could hear total silence in the kitchen, then a "oh shit.." from Dean.

"Come on, we got Chinese food," he said, nodding towards the kitchen.


	14. Chapter 14

After eating a half-cold meal, Claire said goodnight to the boys, and took a sleeping Penny back upstairs to her bedroom. She changed into a clean pair of pj's and climbed into bed, tucking Penny into the middle of the bed. Turning the lamp off on the night stand, Claire snuggled down under the heavy blankets.

Laying wide awake- in total darkness- Claire kept one ear open on Penny's soft breathing. The other, was for the sounds of John's truck, comming down the street and into the dirveway. The sounds of a child's breathing, and the mysterious sounds from outside, made Claire sleepy. After a while, she finally fell asleep, one arm underneath her head, and the other lightly wrapped over Penny's sleeping body.

The sudden movement of the bed moving, dipping down, made Claire wake up with a jolt. Blinking a few times, she saw a dark figure sitting on the otherside of her bed. Getting ready to scream, she pulled Penny closer to her, afraid that she would be taken all over again.

Put the intruder held up it's hands, making no motion to hurt her.

"Shh, it's okay," it whispered.

"John?" Claire whispered, her body all tense with fear. Her voice shook when she said his name, unsure as to who was sitting on her bed.

The bed shifted, as the person before her took off their shoes. Penny stirred, as the sound of boots hit the floor, but quickly rolled over onto her belly.

"Yeah, it's me," John said, as he got up.

Claire watched as he made his away across the room, and into her tiny bathroom, turning the light on. Closing her eyes at the sudden brightness, Claire heard the sink go on. Blinking a few times, she finally opened her eyes and saw that it was indeed John, standing at her sink. He had changed out of his flannel pants and into a pair of old jeans.

"Where'd you go?" she asked, as he stripped down to his boxers.

Leaving his shirt on, he turned the light off in the bathroom and stepped back into the bedroom. Putting his pants down next to his jacket on the chair, he made his way back over to her bed and pulled the covers up.

"I had to think for a while," he said, laying down on the chilly side of her bed.

Claire's heart was racing. John was the first and last person to ever lay in her bed, and it left her young, pregnant and alone. He was gone the day after it happened, and she never heard from him, until almost a year later.

John laid down against the pillows, trying to settle down in the cold against his bare skin. He then looked up at Claire, finally seeing her face shine through the darkness, due to the dim street lights from outside.

"What?" he asked, as she blinked at him.

"Why are you moving around so much?" she asked, as Penny whimpered in her sleep.

John moved onto his side, facing her, and finally relaxed. He looked at Penny, then back at Claire.

"You're bed is freezing. How do you sleep in this?" he asked, reaching out and lightly rubbing Penny's arm.

Claire smiled softly, laying back down against her own pillows. She pulled the blanket up to her waist, and laid on her side, facing John.

"It's not always cold."

There was an uncomfortable silence, after Claire spoke. John and Claire were both wide awake still, and they both had their eyes on each other in the darkness.

"Are you still leaving in the morning," Claire whispered, as she lightly rubbed Penny's back.

John was quiet for a moment, before sighing.

"No, I'm not leaving," he said, as Penny grabbed onto his finger, holding it lightly as she dreamed.

Claire was satisfied with this answer, and she snuggled further down into her bed. She shifted a little more onto her back, placing her left arm underneath the pillows.

"Goodnight, John," she whispered, allowing sleep to finally take over.

"Goodnight, Claire," he replied.


	15. Chapter 15

John woke to the sound of the windows shaking. Sitting up, he looked down at both Claire and Penny, who were still asleep . The windows were covered with heavy curtains, that were most likely pulled down in the middle of the night. Getting up, John walked around the bed, and over to the windows. Slowly, he pulled the curins back and was relieved to see that the source of noise was not by anything unusual.

Heavy gusts of wind, carrying giant snowflakes, caused the windows to shake. The house creaked as the wind blew, snow slamming into the windows. John dropped the curtain, and made his way back over to the bed. He was surprised to find Penny awake, while her mother slept on. Quietly, John picked the little girl up and started for the bedroom door. Penny stared at him, as he carried her out of the room and down the stairs.

Stepping into the kitchen, he found Sam standing at the counter, making coffee. Sam turned around, and saw his father walking in with Penny.

"Hey. Did you see the snow?" Sam asked, as he sat down at the table.

John nodded, "Yeah. Looks pretty bad, too," he said, as he took a seat.

Penny sat on his lap, sucking on her fingers and staring about. Sam watched, as John used the hem of his shirt, to wipe away the drool from Penny's mouth. He was shocked at how his father was acting aroud this little girl. The coffee machine went off, and Sam stood up.

"Want any?" Sam asked, as he took cups down from the cabient.

"Sure," John said, as Penny pulled at the placemat on the table.

Sam poured coffee into two cups, and set them on the table. Then he went back to get sugar and other things.

"What are you doin', Pen?" John asked, as Penny tried to put the end of the placemat into her mouth.

Sam came back to the table with a tiny bowl of sugar and a carton of milk. Sitting down, Sam moved a glass closer to John.

"Where's Claire?" he asked, as he put some milk into his coffee.

"Upstairs sleeping. That girl can sleep through anything," he said, as Penny pointed to the sugar bowl.

Sam nodded, "So, what's the plan for today?" he asked.

John took a sip of his coffee, and set the glass back down onto the table. Standing up, John carried Penny over to one of the cabinets, and started searching for food.

"Well, I wanted to go and look for what took Penny. But not in this weather," he said, as he moved boxes and cans around.

"Do you want me to see if I can find anything online? Search local news sites?" he asked, as John tucked a box of ceral under his free arm.

"Yeah, a little searchin' wont hurt," he said, as he took a jar of baby food off the shelf.

He walked back over to the table, and set the box and the jar down on the table. Then he went to get two bowls and three spoons.

"Dad?" Sam asked, as John set the bowls and spoons down on the table.

"Yeah, Sam?" he asked, as he unscrewed the top off the baby jar.

Penny squealed, knowing that she would finally be fed. John chuckled, as he scooped some of the mushy food onto a spoon.

"How much longer are we gonna be here for?" he asked, as John fed Penny.

He looked up at Sam, and saw that he was watching the interaction going on between himself and Penny. Then he looked down at the little girl, who licked her lips fiercely.

"For however long it takes, Sammy," he said, as he continued to feed the little girl.

Sam nodded to himself, and reached over for the box of ceral and a bowl. As he poured the cereal into a bowl, Sam wondered how long it would take to get their job done.


End file.
